Camden High School to host Upcycling Fair

An upcycling project.

Camden High School (CHS) will hold an Upcycling Fair on March 1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Commons area. CHS Principal Dan Matthews issued a letter to parents and students which explained that upcycling, sometimes referred to as "re-purposing," is the process of taking an object that might be thrown away and converting it into something useful. The Upcycling Fair is planned to encourage students and the community to find ways to reduce the amount of garbage thrown into landfills, Matthews said.

According to Matthews, CHS’s recycling club, the Green Team, leads the school in recycling efforts. Thousands of pounds of bottles and cans are collected by the Green Team each year for recycling. He noted that CHS is proud of the team’s dedication and have planned the Upcycling Fair as a way to help the club raise funds for more recycling containers to place around the school.

There will be cash prizes of $50 for each of the following categories: Adult, High School, Middle School, Elementary School and "Best of Show." Many ideas for Upcycling may be found by searching the Internet for "upcycling ideas."

Participants may choose to sell their upcycled items at the fair or they may choose to share their upcycled creations in the Exhibit Area of the Commons, Matthews explained.

CHS Librarian Laura Horton said the purpose of the fair is to "encourage students to give serious thought about throwing something away. We want them to ask if there’s a purpose for this (item)." CHS science teacher and Green Team sponsor Molly Moxley has been such a strong leader for the school’s recycling efforts, Horton said.

Horton also stated that Suominen Nonwovens of Bethune is sponsoring the cash prizes for the event. "We’d like to have some samples of upcycled items to display in our library in the weeks leading up to the fair," Horton stated, encouraging any community member or group to contact her (laura.horton@kcsdschools.net) or Moxley (mary.moxley@kcs dschools.net) for more information. "We hope having the items on display will encourage more people to participate."

Green Team members shared their excitement about the upcoming fair. Kassandra Glover said, "The Upcycling Fair is a great way for our students to freely use their artistic abilities while also helping the earth."

Similarly, Kaitlyn Riley said, "This project will be an opportunity for the community to get involved and raise awareness of environmentally improving this city."

David Gardner echoed Riley’s sentiments, stating "The fair offers an exciting way to encourage our community to come together with our school and have fun at the same time."